Keep Sick Kids at Home, Pleads Mom After Kid's Stay in ICU

Sick kids have to stay home and rest -- for their health and the safety of other kids. One mom is strongly asking other parents to keep this in mind after her 3-year-old was sent to the hospital for a potentially life-threatening disease she contracted after playing with a sick cousin.

“Please. If your child has a cold, or a flu, or an upper respiratory infection, please keep them home and take care of them,” wrote Laura Correada-Silva on an Imgur post, according to Scary Mommy. The post, which has now since been deleted, included a photo of Laura’s daughter Chloe, lying in an ICU hospital bed with a breathing machine. Her arm is also bandaged to keep her from pulling out her IV.

According to Laura, Chloe was playing with a sick cousin who came over for dinner over the Christmas holiday. “My brother presented her like, ‘Oh she has a lung infection, but she shouldn’t be contagious,'” she said. Shortly after the get-together, Chloe developed a fever. Laura said her daughter was up to date with her vaccinations, but she suffers from asthma that Laura feels caused the virus to quickly turn serious.

Chloe’s stay in the hospital was due to a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. According to Mayo Clinic, RSV is a common infection (imagine a bad cold), but it can become a severe infection for infants and children with lung problems and requires hospitalization.

When Choe had trouble breathing and worsened, Laura rushed her to the emergency room. “Breathing problems are more worrisome when the sounds come from the chest and lungs, not the nose,” says pediatrician Dr. Jennifer Shu to Parents. (Read about other serious symptoms in children you should never ignore here.)

Thankfully, Chloe is said to be on the mend (although we also can't help but wonder how Laura and her brother are after this incident). Let's take this a reminder of what we all know: a sick child is better off at home, for his sake and others. No big celebration is worth our family's health.